


Anniversary

by thehoyden



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-06
Updated: 2010-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-05 21:26:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehoyden/pseuds/thehoyden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All in all, Arthur quite liked birthdays, particularly his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is for [](http://rageprufrock.livejournal.com/profile)[**rageprufrock**](http://rageprufrock.livejournal.com/) \-- happy birthday! Beta by the fabulous [](http://shayheyred.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://shayheyred.livejournal.com/)**shayheyred**.

All in all, Arthur quite liked birthdays, particularly his own. He would be the first to admit that he had little use for many of the gifts that his father's vassals presented him with, but he appreciated food and new weaponry and novelties that could amuse both himself and his friends for at least the next month. This year, for example, he had received a strange, foreign liquor in a small glass bottle that had him waking up in unexpected places for a week -- he was both sad and a bit relieved when he and his companions had finished it off. Merlin had been decidedly less amused by the whole affair, but that probably had something to do with Arthur waking up one of those mornings in Merlin's wretchedly lumpy servant bed, with Merlin shivering on top of a makeshift pallet on the floor.

His father's birthday was a bit more serious, and Arthur always privately agonized over what to present him with -- because Uther wasn't just his father, he was the king, and so the anniversary of his birth was always inextricably linked to the celebration of another year of peace in Albion. Which wasn't to say that revelry didn't occur, but there were also a lot of ceremonies and banquets with lords and vassals and and Arthur not only had to choose a gift appropriate for such a lofty occasion, but also had to remain on his best behavior.

Morgana's birthday went a lot better once Arthur figured out that as long as he gave her something sharp and pointy instead of sparkly, she was more or less inclined to think favorably of him.

So, on the whole, Arthur thought he was really quite knowledgeable about the importance of birthdays and ceremonies thereof, but he was a little puzzled as to what to do about Merlin. First of all, Merlin only had a hazy idea of what day he was actually born on, and second, Arthur wasn't precisely supposed to give things to servants -- well, on the New Year and certain feast days, he might legitimately hand out rewards for good service, not that Merlin's service could in any way be qualified as "good."

Still, it was a fact that Merlin was looking a bit _mopey_. And when Arthur had demanded to know why, Merlin had a faraway look in his eyes, and softly admitted, "I'm just used to spending this time of year with my mother, that's all. Homesick, I suppose."

And Arthur's brow furrowed at that, because he'd never quite considered that Merlin had _come_ from somewhere. It seemed as though Merlin had just appeared in his life without attachments or obligations, save for those to Gaius. That Merlin might long for home around the nebulous day of his birth had never precisely occurred to Arthur.

Had it been one of his friends, one of the young lords or knights in Camelot and far from his birthplace, Arthur might have suggested going on a hunt and taking several wine-skins along to carouse in the countryside and forget their melancholy. But it was a fact that Merlin wasn't much of a hunter, which did lead Arthur to question how he'd even _survived_ back in that home village of his.

Had it been a lady, Arthur would have attacked the problem with flowers and candied fruit (unless it was Morgana, who seemed to feel a lot better when Arthur allowed her to best him in archery -- and he was _allowing_ her, no matter what she said).

But Merlin? Arthur hadn't the faintest idea what to do. Fortunately, his father had taught him that there was no shame in consulting experts for their opinions, as long as they understood that they were just that -- opinions.

So Arthur dispatched Merlin on an errand that would take him to the far end of town, and made for the rooms of the Court Physician. When Gaius opened the door to Arthur's knock, he looked surprised but said, "Come in, sire, how many I be of service?"

Arthur strode into the room, opened his mouth, and then shut it again. "Well. It's a bit unusual, but I'd like to present Merlin with a gift for his birthday. I mean, as a reward for his service, which is..." he trailed off and looked at Gaius, who had a sympathetic look in his eye. "Well, it's not totally abysmal. What would you suggest?"

"His trousers are looking a bit worn at the knees," Gaius said blandly.

Arthur's mind immediately conjured up Merlin on his knees, and it was true that Merlin did spend some time doing that when attending to the fire in Arthur's room, but it wasn't as though Arthur kept him kneeling in front of him all the time --

He shook his head to clear it. "Does his home--" and oh, that rankled to say that for some reason -- "have some traditions that he might be accustomed to?"

Gaius took off his glasses and cleaned them on the front of his robe, looking thoughtful. "None that stand out in my memory, sire. They're a plain, peaceful folk. And the only thing Merlin's expressed any great desire for are those late winter plums -- I think one of the kitchen maids passed him one last week."

"Plums," Arthur said with great concentration, and then strode out without another word.

***

Unfortunately, that was how Arthur fell out of a tree.

He realized quickly enough that it would be hard to maintain discretion if he simply went to the kitchens and demanded fruit, because gossip came out of the kitchen in greater quantities than food, and everyone would want to know why Arthur was running errands for his servant and _then_ it would be bandied about that Arthur indulged Merlin, and really, it would be much better just to do it himself.

He would realize later, of course, that perhaps attempting this feat in the dead of night so no one could see him was _theoretically_ a good idea, but in practice, it was really completely terrible because he lost his footing in the dark, and both he and ten or so good-sized winter plums hit the ground quite hard. He did something awful to his ankle in the process, and had to suffer the indignity of having a passing guard help him hobble to Gaius' quarters, the fruit concealed in a square of cloth.

Merlin answered the door, and said, "Ar -- I mean, sire, come in, are you all right?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You can go," he said to the guard. "Merlin, a little help, here?"

"Oh!" Merlin said, snapping out of whatever daze he'd been in. "Yes, of course," he said, and ducked under Arthur's arm to help him over to a bench. "Gaius isn't here, but I know what to do -- here, put your leg up, and drink this," he said, fetching a little vial and holding it out to Arthur.

It looked rather like horse mucous. "Are you sure?" Arthur said skeptically.

Merlin sat on the bench at Arthur's feet and probed the injured ankle. "Yes, drink it all in one go," he said, a bit absently.

"This better not get me preg--_ow_," Arthur said, glaring.

"It's not broken," Merlin said confidently.

Arthur supposed he was grateful to hear that, so he downed the medicine, which tasted as revolting as it looked.

"How did you do this, anyway?" Merlin asked. "After that last time when Sir Nevaine fell when you were scaling the wall to the ladies' courtyard, I thought you weren't going to do that anymore." He said it with a note of polite disapproval, which just irritated Arthur even further, because his ankle was throbbing and who was _Merlin_ to be passing judgement on him anyway?

"I wasn't scaling the wall," Arthur snapped, and then untied the bundle he had set on the table, letting winter plums roll this way and that on the uneven table while snatching one up and thrusting it into Merlin's hand. "These are for you," he muttered, turning his head a little.

"For me?" Merlin repeated, sounding absolutely shocked, and really, it was only fruit.

Arthur huffed. "Look, Gaius said you liked them, so congratulations on the anniversary of your birth and all that."

"For _me_?" Merlin said again, and his tone was so sweet with wonder that Arthur was forced to look at his face. He looked as astonished as he sounded, and Arthur wondered for a split second what he would have done if Arthur had thrown in a new pair of trousers, too. He was cupping one plum in his hands, looking at it reverently.

"Yes, for you," Arthur said impatiently. "You said you were missing your home, but I wanted to -- Camelot has much to offer."

Merlin's brow furrowed. "Like winter plums," he said slowly.

"Exactly," Arthur said, much relieved to have communicated his point without more pointless talking.

Merlin took a bite of the plum, and Arthur had eaten winter plums every year and more rare, delicious fruit besides, but he'd never eaten any of it with one tenth of the ecstasy on Merlin's face. It took Arthur a moment realize that Merlin was holding out the plum to him when he said, "Do you want to try it?"

Arthur was puzzled but Merlin's lips were shiny with juice and it really had looked like an exceptional plum, so he placed his mouth where Merlin's had been and took a bite. It was good, there was no doubt about it, but the best part was seeing the anticipation on Merlin's face while he chewed and swallowed. "It's great," Arthur said, handing the fruit back, and Merlin beamed.

They passed the fruit back and forth until only the pit remained. "I should help you back to your room," Merlin said.

"You most certainly should not," Arthur said. "You're going to help me to your bed, and that's all the more walking I'll be doing tonight."

"My bed?" Merlin said. "But you said my bed was lumpier than--"

"Never mind what I said, help me up," Arthur ground out.

Merlin's bed was still dreadful, but Arthur had slept outdoors on many occasions and it wasn't so bad in comparison. He looked up at Merlin. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm not making you sleep on the floor on your birthday, or what I've decided is your birthday," Arthur said, a little irritated at Merlin being so dense when Arthur had done all of this for him, when Arthur was trying to be kind. "We can fit if we lie close."

Merlin looked doubtful, but he took off his boots and his outer tunic and blew out the candle before squirming into place on one half of the bed.

Arthur was already feeling quite drowsy and blissfully pain-free from the elixir Merlin had made him take, so it didn't seem quite so hard to sling one arm around Merlin's waist. And when a little more time had passed, Arthur said in a low voice, "Is this not your home now?"

"It's growing to be," Merlin said, just as quietly. And he moved closer still, tucking his head against Arthur's shoulder.

Arthur wasn't sure if it was the potion or the honest answer that made him feel like Merlin had looked when he'd eaten the plum, but he held Merlin a little tighter and then drifted off to sleep.


End file.
